Empoderamiento y adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con epilepsia

Abstract

Introduction

Epilepsy, as a chronic disease with a significant impact on quality of life, requires specialized care and health education for self-management. Patient empowerment can influence health outcomes such as treatment adherence.

Objective

to measure the level of empowerment in patients with epilepsy in relation to their treatment adherence and educational factors.

Methods

A descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study with a gender perspective was conducted. The participants were patients followed at the Epilepsy Unit. Data collection included the empowerment questionnaire PELC-E, a treatment adherence questionnaire, and an ad-hoc survey with sociodemographic, clinical, and educational variables. Descriptive analyses were performed for categorical and quantitative variables, and a linear regression model was applied to identify variables associated with empowerment. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee.

Results

Two hundred responses were collected from participants, with a mean age of 44.7 ± 14 years, and characteristics typical of drug-resistant patients. Empowerment was significantly associated with treatment adherence (p = 0.02). High treatment adherence was also related to high satisfaction with the health education received (p < 0.01). Satisfaction regarding education on antiepileptic drugs correlated positively with empowerment and treatment adherence (p < 0,01). Educational factors such as participation in associations or health education sessions were correlated with empowerment (p = 0.027 and p = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusion

Educational factors play a key role in patient empowerment and treatment adherence in patients with epilepsy.